Landungsbrücken

Health Information on COVID-19 (coronavirus)

Personal hygiene measures are important: frequent hand washing, keeping a distance from the sick, and proper cough / sneeze etiquette.

Coronavirus

COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Hamburg

Lung diseases due to a new type of coronavirus (2019-nCoV - or COVID-19) are currently increasing. In the meantime, the disease has been renamed COVID-19 and the pathogen has now been renamed Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The first cases were confirmed in Germany at the end of January 2020, and the first case was confirmed in Hamburg on February 27, with many more cases having been confirmed since.

COVID-19 is transferable from person to person.

What is the current status in Hamburg?

Current information on the measures being taken to fight the spread of COVID-19 are here in German. We are providing unofficial English updates as often as possible. However, due to the amount of information and the small size of our team, we ask for your patience - thank you for understanding that there may be some delay between German updates and their English translations.

For worldwide updates in English, please consult the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The City of Hamburg has the following information for all Hamburg residents:

Due to the current situation, a hotline has been set up for Hamburg, which can be reached at 428 284 000.

If you suspect you have been infected with COVID-19, call 116117. You will be advised by telephone and, if necessary, care will be arranged for you. In cooperation with the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Hamburg, an attempt is being made to further expand capacities.

What to do if I think I am infected?

Everyone should currently be practicing social distancing (staying home as much as possible and keeping a distance of at least 1.5 metres from others when leaving the house is necessary), whether sick or not.

If you do begin to experience symptoms of COVID-19, the most important thing is not to visit a doctor's office or emergency room, as this could infect other patients. Those with relevant symptoms who have recently traveled to affected areas or have had contact with people who may be infected can get advice by calling their doctor's office or the numbers given above. 

The Hamburg Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians is currently stating that after consulting 116117, testing can be carried out at home to avoid further contact with other people.

The authority also advises that everyone should wash their hands regularly and thoroughly, make sure to cough and sneeze correctly (cough / sneeze into a handkerchief or in the crook of your arm, rather than into your hand) and keep distance from other people. Further information and hygiene tips can be found on the website www.infektionsschutz.de of the Federal Center for Health Education (German) or at the WHO in English.

Is Hamburg prepared?

Hamburg is well positioned. The city maintains sufficient clinical facilities to care for patients with the corresponding symptoms and a corresponding travel history to affected  areas (China: Hubei province, including Wuhan and the cities of Wenzhou, Hangzhou , Ningbo, Taizhou in the province of Zhejiang; Iran: Qom province; Italy: Lombardy region and the city of Vo in the province of Padua in the Veneto region; South Korea: province of Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang)). 

With the Bernhardt Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) and the Institute for Hygiene and the Environment (HU) as the state enterprise of the Authority for Health and Consumer Protection (BGV), facilities with an international reputation for research and diagnostics of infectious diseases are available.

If necessary, you can contact the specially set up hotline at 040 42828-4000, as mentioned above, to receive further information on COVID-19, the new coronavirus. 

In the event that a health office learns of a person who has entered a risk area within the last 14 days, the responsible health office informs the traveler about the COVID-19 outbreak and other relevant information, including possible disease courses and transmission risks. There is an individual survey to determine the individual risk and steps to be taken. 

At the same time, it is possible to coordinate medical care if symptoms occur. If you are experiencing symptoms, medical questions can be recorded on the telephone number 116117 of the emergency medical service.

If you have other questions relating to COVID-19 in Hamburg, please consult this English FAQ.

Doctors